Do I need a “vaccine passport” to travel?

(AP) — Airlines and other companies in the travel industry are throwing help behind so-called vaccine passports to boost pandemic-stricken travel. European authorities You can accept your ideas fast enough during the peak summer vacation season.

Technology companies and travel industry groups develop and test different versions of vaccine passports, also known as health certificates and travel passes.

However, it is uncertain whether the passport under development will be widely accepted around the world, which can lead to confusion for travelers and disappointment in the travel industry.

I have some important questions about my health qualifications.

What is a vaccine passport?

This is a document showing that travelers have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or have recently been tested negative for the virus that causes it.

The information is stored on the phone or other mobile device that the user displays to airline employees and border guards. The Biden administration and others want a paper version to be available as well.

Who is designing them?

The International Air Transport Association, a trading group of global airlines, is testing a version called the Travel Pass. IBM is developing another pass called the Digital Health Pass. There are several other private sector initiatives.

In some countries, passports are used in addition to traveling by air. Israel is using a new “green passport” to allow only those who have been vaccinated or recovered with COVID-19 to attend public events such as concerts. Denmark hopes to launch a pass that will allow vaccinated people to travel with less restrictions.

Why do travel agencies want them?

International air travel collapsed during the pandemic as countries imposed restrictions such as quarantine and total bans to curb the spread of the virus.Airlines rely on vaccine passports to persuade the government Remove some of the restrictions that discourage visitors.

“The importance of this to the resumption of international aviation cannot be exaggerated,” said Alexandre de Juniac, CEO of the aviation trade association.

Hotel operators who rely on foreign visitors also want to see the paths adopted.

The aviation industry group tested the app on Wednesday on Singapore Airlines’ flight to London. Passengers placed their passports, coronavirus test results, and digital versions of travel restrictions at their destinations on their mobile devices.

Where do I need these passes?

Vaccine passports are the most common on international flights. In some countries, proof of vaccination against diseases such as yellow fever is already required. Also, in the United States, digital health passports are not that dramatic, as they require a negative test for COVID-19.

What are the risks?

While the vaccines available are most effective in preventing serious illness, they still do not rule out the possibility of vaccinated travelers spreading the virus.

Ashish Jha, Dean of Public Health at Brown University, said: “How much? I don’t know.” He estimates that it’s about 80%.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Relaxed other guidelines for vaccinated people..

What about fairness?

Other critics say that the certificate is mainly for people in wealthy countries and relatively wealthy people in each country, that is, most likely people who are likely to be vaccinated immediately and who are likely to have a smartphone. Says to bring benefits to.

Lisa Eckenweiler, who teaches health ethics at George Mason University, said: She believes that if the health pass extends to work or school, it can be unfair.

What about privacy?

Consumers will be nervous about sharing health information that could be hacked or exposed for infringement, said Stephen Beck, management consultant cg42.

“In the end, people will ask themselves. Will they share sensitive information that deserves a trade-off with leisure travel?” “And for many, the answer will be no,” he says. ..

IATA and IBM state that Path uses blockchain technology and information is not stored in a central location.

What role does the US government play?

Airlines and business groups are working with the White House to lead the setting of health pass standards. They believe that they avoid a jumble of local credentials that can cause confusion among travelers and prevent a single health certificate from being widely accepted.

However, the Biden administration says it is up to the private sector and nonprofits to understand how Americans can be proven to have been vaccinated or tested.

“It’s not the government’s responsibility to retain and do that data,” White House virus response adviser Andy Slavit said this week. “It needs to be private, the data needs to be secure, access to the data needs to be free, and it needs to be available in multiple languages, both digital and paper.”

Other governments like Israel and Denmark are playing a more active role.